LA BAMBA
As recorded by Ritchie Valens
(From the 1959 Album RITCHIE VALENS)
Words and Music by Ritchie Valens
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Ritchie Valens - Electric Guitar'
Intro
Q=152
N.C. C F G F C F G
4/4
Gtr I (Clean El. Gtr.)
W Q E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|----------|----------------|-------------------|---------1-1-1----|
|----------|----1-1-1---1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-0--|
|----------|----0-0-2---2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-2-2-2-0--|
|----------|----2---3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|-2-2-2-2-3-3-3-0--|
|----------|-3--------------|-------2-----------|-3-3-3-3-------0--|
|----------|----------------|-----3-------------|------------------|
1st, 3rd & 4th Verses
$
$$
C F G F
e E Q H E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-3-----------||-----------------|-------------------|
|-0-----------||-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|
|-0-----------||---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|
|-0-----------||---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|
|-2-----------||-3---------------|-------2-----------|
|-3-----------||-----------------|-----3-------------|
To Coda
C F G F C F G F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|---------------------|
|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1---|
|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0---|
|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0---|
|-3---------------|-------2-----------|-3---------------|-------2-------------|
|-----------------|-----3-------------|-----------------|-----3---------------|
To Dbl. Coda
C F G F C F G F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|---------------------|
|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1---|
|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0---|
|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0---|
|-3---------------|-------2-----------|-3---------------|-------2-------------|
|-----------------|-----3-------------|-----------------|-----3---------------|
C F G F C F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E W
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|------||
|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-----1-------1-0-|------||
|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|---0---0-2-2-2-0-|------||
|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|---------3-3-3-0-|------||
|-3---------------|-------2-----------|-3---------------|------||
|-----------------|-----3-------------|-----------------|------||
2nd Verse
C F G F C F G F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|
|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|
|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|
|-3---------------|-------2-----------|-3---------------|-------2-----------|
|-----------------|-----3-------------|-----------------|-----3-------------|
Chorus
C F G F C F G F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------||-----------------|-------------------|
|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-||-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|
|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-||---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|
|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-||---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|
|-3---------------|-------2-----------||-3---------------|-------2-----------|
|-----------------|-----3-------------||-----------------|-----3-------------|
C F G F C F G F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|
|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|
|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|
|-3---------------|-------2-----------|-3---------------|-------2-----------|
|-----------------|-----3-------------|-----------------|-----3-------------|
D.S. al Coda &
C F G N.C. C F G F
E E E E E E E E W E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E S S
|-----------------|----------||-----------------|----------------------||
|-------------1-0-|----------||-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1------||
|-----0---2-2-2-0-|----------||-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0h2--||
|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|----------||---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2------||
|-3---------------|----------||-3---------------|-------2--------------||
|-----------------|----------||-----------------|-----3----------------||
Guitar Solo
N.C.
+Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E H +Q E E E E E E
|------------------|-----------------|--------------|------------------|
|------------------|-----------------|--------------|------------------|
|-(2)--x-2-2-0-----|-0-2-0-------0-2-|-0-------0----|-(0)--------------|
|--------------3-2-|-------3-2-3-----|---3-2-3------|--------0-3-3-2-0-|
|------------------|-----------------|--------------|------2-----------|
|------------------|-----------------|--------------|------------------|
E S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|
E E E E S S S S S E S S E S S S E S S S S S S S S
|-----------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------------------|
|-0---------------------|-0-2-0-2-2-0-2-2-0-2-2-0-2-0---|
|-------0-3-3-2-0-0h2---|-------------------------------|
|-----2-----------------|-------------------------------|
|---3-------------------|-------------------------------|
S S S S S S S S E E E E E E E E E Q E +W Q E E E E E E
|-------------------------|----------------|------------|----------------|
|-------------------------|----------------|------------|----------------|
|-2-0-0-2-0-0-2-0-0-------|-0-2-0--------0-|-(0)--------|------0-----2-0-|
|-------------------3-2-3-|-------3-2-3----|------------|----2---3-3-----|
|-------------------------|----------------|------------|-3--------------|
|-------------------------|----------------|------------|----------------|
+E E E E E E E S S S S S S S S S S E S S S S S S E E E E E E E E
|---------------------|-------------------------------|------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|------------------|
|-(0)-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2-|-2-2-2-2-0-2-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-2-0-|-2-0-------0-2-0--|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|-----3-2-3--------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------|------------------|
D.S.S. al Dbl. Coda
Q E E +E E Q Q. E E E E E e E Q H
|-----------------|----------------|-------------||
|-----------------|----------------|-------------||
|-2--0------------|-0----0-0-0-0-0-|-0-----------||
|------3-(3)-2-3--|----------------|-------------||
|-----------------|----------------|-------------||
|-----------------|----------------|-------------||
&&
C F G F C F G F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------||
|-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-||
|---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-||
|---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-||
|-3---------------|-------2-----------|-3---------------|-------2-----------||
|-----------------|-----3-------------|-----------------|-----3-------------||
Outro
C F G F C F G F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
|-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|
|---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|
|---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|
|-3---------------|-------2-----------|-3---------------|-------2-----------|
|-----------------|-----3-------------|-----------------|-----3-------------|
C F G F C F G F
E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------*|
|-----1-------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-|-------------1-0-|-(0)-------1-1-1-1-*|
|---0---0-2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-|-----0---2-2-2-0-|-(0)-------2-2-0-0-*|
|---------3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-|---2---2-3-3-3-0-|-(0)-----0-3-3-2-0-*|
|-3---------------|-------2-----------|-3---------------|-------2-----------*|
|-----------------|-----3-------------|-----------------|-----3-------------*|
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba
Se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa(ra) mi pa(ra) ti
Arriba y arriba
Y arriba y arriba, por ti sere
Por ti sere
Por ti sere
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan
Soy capitan
Soy capitan
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba
Se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa(ra) mi pa(ra) ti
Arriba, arriba
R-r-r-r-r, haha!
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba
Se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa(ra) mi pa(ra) ti
Arriba y arriba
Y arriba y arriba, por ti sere
Por ti sere
Por ti sere
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba-ba-bamba
